Asbury Memorial United Methodist Church is slated to host a screening of the documentary “Backs Against the Wall: The Howard Thurman Story,” which tells the story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s spiritual leader. The screening will include a panel discussion about the film with diverse faith and community leaders from Savannah, who will give multiple perspectives to the film, followed by a reception in the social hall. This free event will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 19 at the church, 1008 E. Henry St., and is open to all.

“Backs Against the Wall” is the story of Howard Thurman, the grandson of slaves and a “spiritual foundation” for the Civil Rights Movement who became Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s spiritual leader. After studying at multiple colleges for almost fifteen years, Thurman studied mysticism at Haverford college in 1929, which became a heavy influence on his theology. During this time, he became a visible theological figure in the national student youth movement, and his faith in inter-racialism began.

Following the screening, a multi-faith panel of respected community leaders will discuss issues raised by the documentary and how they still resonate today. Panelists include Rabbi Robert Haas, Imam Ibrahim Abdul-Malik, Rev. Thurmond Tillman, Rev. Claire Marich, and Rev. Kathleen Roberson.

“We hope this film will be inspiring and thought-provoking for members of our community,” said Asbury Memorial UMC Rev. Billy Hester. “The faith leaders of the Civil Rights Movement still have a lot to teach us, even today, and understanding their paths helps us understand our own. Howard Thurman sets an example for all of us. We hope to honor his legacy and that this special screening will be an influence in our community.”

Thurman’s life is explored during this one-hour documentary. In 1932, he became Professor of Religion at Howard University in Washington, D.C. In 1936, he was appointed the first Dean of Rankin Chapel. While working with the school, he took students to visit the Indian subcontinent and became the first Black American invited to meet Mohandas Gandhi, who suggested that the non-violence resistance movement could take on global significance through the African-American experience. Thurman carried this philosophy back to the United States and continued to influence civil rights in D.C. through his students at Howard University.

In 1943, A.J. Muste asked Thurman to recommend a student to help him establish and co-pastor an interracial church in San Francisco, and Thurman offered to co-pastor the church himself. It became the Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples (Fellowship Church), the first major interracial, interfaith church in America that has been designated as a national landmark in honor of its creative ecclesiology and pioneering social vision. He stayed there between 1944 and 1953, during which he wrote “Jesus and the Disinherited” (1949). His ministry at this time, and the book, were heavily influenced by the philosophy he’d carried since his meeting with Gandhi. This book went on to influence leaders of the Civil Rights Movement and the non-violent philosophy that is a hallmark of the movement.

In addition to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose father he’d been friends with at Morehouse college, Thurman also advised Sherwood Eddy, James Farmer, A. J. Muste, and Pauli Murray. He wrote twenty-one books on theology, religion, and philosophy over his life.